Beech 76 accident near Scottsdale, Arizona, October 22, 1993
On October 22, 1993 at about 1:40 am local time, a Beech 76, registered N5148M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Scottsdale, Arizona (Scottsdale Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight instructor's failure to adequately supervise the flight, follow proper procedures/directives regarding leaning and clearing the idling engine, and his delay in applying power to the idling engine. The fouled spark plugs were a factor in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 1993 · about 1:40 am local time
- Place
- Scottsdale, Arizona · Scottsdale Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 76 · all 76s on the register
- Registration
- N5148M · registry record · serial ME-43
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI RETARTED THE THROTTLE ON THE LEFT ENGINE TO A ZERO THRUST SETTING. THE DUAL STUDENT CONTACTED THE AIRPORT AND WAS CLEARED FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH. DURING THE APPROACH, THE CFI FAILED TO INSTRUCT THE STUDENT TO MOMENTARILY CLEAR THE LEFT ENGINE. DURING THE ENSUING GO-AROUND, THE DUAL STUDENT APPLIED FULL POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE, BUT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB. THE CFI DELAYED INSTRUCTING THE STUDENT TO APPLY FULL POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE. WHEN HE DID INSTRUCT THE STUDENT TO APPLY FULL POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND AND THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE. THE CFI ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE OPERATOR REPORTED BOTH ENGINES OPERATED NORMALLY DURING THE EXAMINATION AND THE LEFT ENGINE SPARK PLUGS CONTAINED HIGH CARBON AND SOOT DEPOSITS.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,880 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 73 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 1,668 as pilot in command; 1,335 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,491 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 8, 1993; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1G6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero/Mech INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 8,251 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 am from SDL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.